WHO ARE THE FOREIGN POWERS INVOLVED IN SYRIA’S WAR?
The US. The US for years offered covert assist to Syrian rebels combating the Syrian regime with the purpose of pressuring Assad right into a political settlement, however it ditched that program in mid-2017.
The American army straight attacked the regime not often, in response to its alleged use of chemical weapons.
The US performed a serious position combating Islamic State. It started an air marketing campaign towards the group in 2014 and despatched in floor troops the following 12 months to help the Kurdish forces combating the jihadists.
After Islamic State misplaced the territory it had managed in Syria, the US diminished its presence however it nonetheless maintains a small pressure there for the aim of combating remnants of the unconventional group.
Türkiye. Türkiye has performed a fancy position within the conflict. A supporter of the Syrian rebels, Türkiye has been part of the US-led coalition towards Islamic State, however it’s repeatedly attacked the bloc’s simplest floor pressure, the US-armed YPG.
Türkiye considers the YPG an enemy as a result of it has roots within the Kurdistan Employees’ Occasion, or PKK, which has battled for an autonomous area inside Türkiye on and off since 1984.
Iran. Iran deployed its elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to Syria to realize its goal of guaranteeing the survival of the Assad regime, its foremost ally within the Center East.
The alliance provides Iran a land hall stretching through Iraq and Syria to Lebanon by way of which it could possibly extra simply transport arms and tools to its shopper, Hezbollah, the militant Lebanese group.
Hezbollah performed a serious position within the Assad regime’s triumphs and it nonetheless maintains a major presence in Syria, however it has been tremendously weakened by greater than a 12 months of battle with Israel.
Russia. Russia turned the conflict in favour of the Assad regime with a bombing marketing campaign beginning in 2015.
Russia had lengthy maintained its solely army base outdoors the previous Soviet Union at Syria’s Mediterranean port of Tartus and in 2017 made a deal preserving entry to an air base close to Latakia.
Whereas Russia retains important air energy in Syria, its consideration as of late is concentrated on its conflict in Ukraine.
